First-Time Conference Attendees Information

 

Tips for First-time Attendees

While many conference attendees look forward to and attend the VLA Annual Conference as often as possible, most have forgotten how intimidating or confusing their first conference experience might have been. With hundreds of attendees, a new space to get lost in, and being away from the familiar comforts of your office or home, conferences can be hard to acclimate to. To help First-Time Conference Attendees, the New Members Round Table has put together a list of tips and tricks for getting through your first VLA Annual Conference without a hitch.

  • Wear layers for when it’s too cold or too hot in the rooms.
  • Invest in a pair of comfortable and professional-looking pair of shoes. Conference days involve walking from room to room from opening ceremonies to late night socials. Your feet will thank you at the end of the day.
  • Bring snacks — like a granola bar or a bag of almonds — because there is nothing more embarrassing than stomach growls in the audience.
  • Bring a lightweight bag to store your technology, conference swag and other supplies to carry throughout the day.
  • Bring a water bottle to refill throughout the day and keep you hydrated.
  • Invest in a portable rechargeable device for your smart phone for when you don’t have access to a plug.
  • If you have a portable power strip- please bring and share with your new found friends.
  • Branch out and meet new people and not just hang out with your work friends. You never know who will be sitting on an interview panel some day or meet again at another event.
  • Make sure to bring business cards for networking opportunities.
  • Please drink and network responsibly.
  • Leave space in your luggage for any conference swag you will bring home.
  • Check with your supervisor to see if you’re permitted to enter the drawings from vendors- you have the option to opt out of vendor contact.
  • Join your VLA Socializer group for your region on Facebook to view activities near you all year long. All the groups are found on Facebook under VLA Socializer Region [Region number] and are monitored by the New Members Roundtable.
  • Check out NMRT’s social. Every year the Wednesday before the Conference- NMRT hosts a social for those who get to the conference early or attend the preconference. This year NMRT is holding a mini golf in the middle of hotel. Make sure to sign up through VLA registration- it’s never too late to add on and enjoy the fun.
  • Do look at the preliminary program to map out your schedule- but keep a loose schedule in case a networking opportunity appears.
  • Take a look at the list of socials and dinners available throughout the conference. They are offered at varying times and costs to suit differing needs.
  • Check out the business meeting of different roundtables and forums. Different groups require different levels of involvement throughout the year. They’re also a good place to get started in VLA Leadership.
  • If you use Social Media, make sure you engage in conversations/ share notes/ check in/ use the hashtags on Facebook and Twitter. Encourage coworkers at home to follow as well.
  • Make sure to save some time for yourself for some downtime. Meeting new people and listening to great ideas all day is fantastic but exhausting. Take a few minutes or longer to mediate in your preferred way to recharge those batteries.
  • Sign up for volunteer opportunities- there are many opportunities throughout the conference and it’s a great way to give back to VLA.


Mentoring Program Information

Are you interested in expanding your professional network? The VLA NMRT Mentoring Program is designed to help new VLA members grow professionally through partnerships with seasoned VLA members. The program is open to:

  • Mentees: Librarians or library staff members in the first five years of their professional career, library school students. See this guide for more details.
  • Mentors: A career mentor must have been employed in a professional position for at least five years and be willing to correspond with their mentee at least once a month in whatever manner is most convenient for both parties. See this guide for more details.

Membership in VLA is required. Conference attendance is not required.

The VLA NMRT Mentoring Program is not intended as a job search program.

Mentor/mentee partnerships will officially run from March to October.

Mentors and mentees will be partnered based on their similar interests, professional experience or goals, and when able, by their geographic proximity to each other. While face-to-face communication is not required, we hope that mentors and mentees who are near one another take the opportunity to meet in person. The availability of mentors and mentees and the information provided on the applications will determine the partnerships made.

To sign up to participate, please fill out the 2017 VLA NMRT Mentoring Interest Form here.